North Saint Paul Economic Restructuring: Downtown Niche Analysis

Abstract

This project was completed as part of the 2013-2014 Resilient Communities Project (rcp.umn.edu) partnership with the City of North St. Paul. The City of North St. Paul adopted a Redevelopment Master Plan to help guide development in the City, with a focus on downtown redevelopment. The City was interested in determining which businesses would thrive in the downtown. Project lead Paul Ammerman worked with students in PA 5511: Community Economic Development, to conduct a market analysis. The students made recommendations for several types of businesses and development niches that the City should seek in the downtown, including antiques, classic automobiles, museums and cultural resources, microbreweries, and woodworking. They also identified several additional strategies for downtown revitalization, including activating underutilized spaces, expanding wind and solar power, and investing in bicycle infrastructure. The students' final report and poster are available.